Airport Security - Full Name and DOB Required to Fly

[Ken]

You will have to disclose your first, middle, and last name, plus your
birthday if you want to fly next year. That's the word from the
Transportation Security Administration. The effort is to help avoid
the number of people drilled because their name resembles a
terrorist's name on a government watch list.
The secret "no fly" list was started after the September 11th attacks.
The government will not disclose any information about the watch list,
but among some of the thousands of innocent travelers who were
mistakenly identified are Senator Edward Kennedy and a 5 year old boy.
Earlier this year the 5 year-old boy was taken into custody and
thoroughly searched at Sea-Tac International Airport in Seattle,
Washington. One local TV station reported, "When his mother went to
pick him up, hug him, and comfort him during the proceedings, she was
told not to touch him because he was a national security risk. They
also had to frisk her again to make sure the little boy hadn't passed
any dangerous weapons or materials to his mother when she hugged him."
In another embarrassing mishap, in 2004 Senator Edward Kennedy said he
was stopped five separate times within one month because he has the
same name as someone suspected of possible links to terrorism. This
was despite contacting the Department of Homeland Security after the
first incident.
Now starting in July of next year, airlines must collect the new full
name and D.O.B. for flights originating or ending in the US. The
requirement also applies to any flight traveling over the country,
such as from Canada to Mexico. TSA spokesman Nico Melendez said "By
voluntarily providing this information to the airline, it makes it
easier for the TSA to verify that information at the ticket counter
and make the process easier for travelers." Still, some critics say
the move will not improve security because terrorist could buy a
ticket using someone else's name.
Travelers who book flights and do not give required information won't
be able to print a boarding pass at home or at an airport kiosk. They
will have to go to an airline counter and show an identification card
with the required information.
Meanwhile, if you find yourself in a case of misidentification, you
may resolve the matter by logging on to the Department of Homeland
Security's new Traveler Redress Inquiry Program found on the DHS
website. According to DSH, TRIP lets travelers relay their watch list
concerns with a single request. The information is sent to DSH, which,
in turn, shares it with the TSA, US Customs and Border Protection, the
Department of State, and, if appropriate, airport and airline
operators.
That's what Dale Fisher, director of event operations for Network
World, an information technology media company, did. "I had to fill
out a four-page form to clear myself, which involved obtaining a
certified copy of my birth certificate," she says. "It was a hassle,
but being able to use self-service machines again is worth it!"